Electronics Cabinet

ABSTRACT

An electronics cabinet having a cabinet frame, a front equipment rail, and a structural air dam. The cabinet frame includes a first pair of front-to-back beams connected to a pair of top side-to-side beams to form a top frame, a second pair of front-to-back beams connected to a pair of bottom side-to-side beams to form a bottom frame, and a plurality of vertical post connected to the top frame and the bottom frame. The front equipment rail is removably connected to one of the first pair of front-to-back beams and to one of the second pair of front-to-back beams. The structural air dam is connected to the front equipment rail and to one of the plurality of vertical posts.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/826,325, filed Aug. 14, 2015; which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/483,495, filed Sep. 11, 2014, which issued asU.S. Pat. No. 9,144,175 on Sep. 22, 2015; which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/922,777,filed on Jun. 20, 2013, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,901,418 on Dec.2, 2014 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 61/663,898, filed on Jun. 25, 2012, the entirety of which areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to electronics cabinets, such asnetwork and server cabinets, and, more specifically, to reinforcedelectronics cabinets.

BACKGROUND

Electronics cabinets are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat.No. 7,293,666, which is assigned to American Power ConversionCorporation (West Kingston, R.I.), discloses an electronics cabinet.However, the electronics cabinet does not have inset front-to-back beamsand removable vertical posts. In addition, typical electronics cabinetsare not strong or sturdy enough to be shipped or moved with electronicequipment installed in the electronics cabinet.

Therefore, there is a need for an electronics cabinet having insetfront-to-back beams. There is also a need for an electronics cabinetthat is strong and sturdy enough to be shipped and moved while fullyloaded with electronic equipment.

SUMMARY

In one example, an electronics cabinet comprises a cabinet frame, afront equipment rail, and a structural air dam. The cabinet frameincludes a first pair of front-to-back beams connected to a pair of topside-to-side beams to form a top frame, a second pair of front-to-backbeams connected to a pair of bottom side-to-side beams to form a bottomframe, and a plurality of vertical post connected to the top frame andthe bottom frame. The front equipment rail is removably connected to oneof the first pair of front-to-back beams and to one of the second pairof front-to-back beams. The structural air dam is connected to the frontequipment rail and to one of the plurality of vertical posts.

In another example, an electronics cabinet comprises a cabinet frame, afront equipment rail, a channel member, and a vertical cable managementrail. The cabinet frame includes a first pair of front-to-back beamsconnected to a pair of top side-to-side beams to form a top frame, asecond pair of front-to-back beams connected to a pair of bottomside-to-side beams to form a bottom frame, and a plurality of verticalpost connected to the top frame and the bottom frame. The frontequipment rail is removably connected to one of the first pair offront-to-back beams and to one of the second pair of front-to-backbeams. The channel member is connected to the front equipment rail. Thevertical cable management rail is connected to the channel member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Certain examples of the present invention are illustrated by theaccompanying figures. It should be understood that the figures are notnecessarily to scale and that details that are not necessary for anunderstanding of the invention or that render other details difficult toperceive may be omitted. It should be understood, of course, that theinvention is not necessarily limited to the particular examplesillustrated herein.

FIG. 1 is a top front perspective view of an electronics cabinetaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top front perspective view of the electronics cabinet ofFIG. 1, showing the front door, back door, and side panels in an openposition;

FIG. 3 is an exploded top front perspective view of the electronicscabinet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a top front perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded top front perspective view of the cabinet frame ofFIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an exploded bottom front perspective view of the bottom frameof FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged bottom front perspective view of detail 9 of FIG.8;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged bottom front perspective view of detail 10 ofFIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a top view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 4;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged top view of detail 12 of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a top view of a cabinet frame having a width (e.g., 700 mm)greater than the width (e.g., 600 mm) of the cabinet frame of FIG. 11;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged top view of detail 14 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is a top view of a cabinet frame having a width (e.g., 800 mm)greater than the width (e.g., 700 mm) of the cabinet frame of FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is an enlarged top view of detail 16 of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a top front perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 4,showing the equipment rails installed;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 18 of FIG.17;

FIG. 19 is an exploded top front perspective view of FIG. 19;

FIG. 20 is a side view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 17;

FIG. 21 is a side view of detail 21 of FIG. 20;

FIG. 22 is top back perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 17,showing patch panel cassettes installed on the equipment rails;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged top back perspective view of detail 23 of FIG.22;

FIG. 24 is a partially exploded top back perspective view of FIG. 23;

FIG. 25 is a top back perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 17,showing cable management fingers installed on the equipment rails;

FIG. 26 is an enlarged top back perspective view of detail 26 of FIG.25;

FIG. 27 is a partially exploded top back perspective view of FIG. 26;

FIG. 28 is a top back perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 17,showing vertical blanking panels installed on the equipment rails;

FIG. 29 is an enlarged top back perspective view of detail 29 of FIG.28;

FIG. 30 is a partially exploded top back perspective view of FIG. 29;

FIG. 31 is a partially exploded top back perspective view of FIG. 30;

FIG. 32 is a top front perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 4,showing the front door installed and in a closed position;

FIG. 33 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 33 of FIG.32;

FIG. 34 is a top front perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 32,showing the front door in an open position;

FIG. 35 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 35 of FIG.34;

FIG. 36 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 36 of FIG.34;

FIG. 37 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 37 of FIG.34;

FIG. 38 is a top back perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 4,showing the back door installed and in a closed position;

FIG. 39 is an enlarged top back perspective view of detail 39 of FIG.38;

FIG. 40 is a top back perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 38,showing the back door in an open position;

FIG. 41 is an enlarged top back perspective view of detail 41 of FIG.40;

FIG. 42 is an enlarged top back perspective view of detail 42 of FIG.40;

FIG. 43 is an enlarged top back perspective view of detail 43 of FIG.40;

FIG. 44 is a top front perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 4,showing the side door installed and in a closed position;

FIG. 45 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 45 of FIG.44;

FIG. 46 is a top front perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 44,showing the side door in an open position;

FIG. 47 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 47 of FIG.46;

FIG. 48 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 48 of FIG.46;

FIG. 49 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 49 of FIG.46;

FIG. 50 is a top back perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 44,showing the side door in an open position;

FIG. 51 is an enlarged top back perspective view of detail 51 of FIG.50;

FIG. 52 is an enlarged top back perspective view of detail 52 of FIG.50;

FIG. 53 is top front perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 4,showing the top cap installed;

FIG. 54 is an enlarged top front perspective view of detail 54 of FIG.53;

FIG. 55 is a partially exploded top front perspective view of FIG. 54;

FIG. 56 is a top view of the top cap of FIG. 53, showing the cabinetframe below it in hidden lines;

FIG. 57 is an enlarged top view of detail 57 of FIG. 56;

FIG. 58 is a top view of a top cap for a cabinet frame having a width(e.g., 700 mm) greater than the width (e.g., 600 mm) of the cabinetframe of FIG. 53, showing the wider cabinet frame below it in hiddenlines and some of the grommets partially or fully removed;

FIG. 59 is an enlarged top view of detail 59 of FIG. 58;

FIG. 60 is a top view of a top cap for a cabinet frame having a width(e.g., 800 mm) greater than the width (e.g., 600 mm) of the cabinetframe of FIG. 58, showing the wider cabinet frame below it in hiddenlines and some of the grommets partially or fully removed;

FIG. 61 is an enlarged top view of detail 61 of FIG. 60;

FIG. 62 is a top front perspective view of an electronics cabinetaccording to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 63 is a top front perspective view of one example of a cabinetframe of the electronics cabinet of FIG. 62;

FIG. 64A is a top front perspective view of an equipment rail and airdam of the cabinet frame of FIG. 63;

FIG. 64B is an exploded view of the equipment rail and air dam of FIG.64A;

FIG. 65 is a partial exploded view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 63;

FIG. 66 is a partial exploded top rear perspective view of the cabinetframe of FIG. 63;

FIG. 67 is a partial exploded view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 63;

FIG. 68 is a top plan view of the front right corner of the cabinetframe of FIG. 63;

FIG. 69 is a top rear perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 63with cable management fingers;

FIG. 70 is a front plan view of the bottom left corner of the cabinetframe of FIG. 63 with a side panel uninstalled;

FIG. 71 is a front plan view of the bottom left corner of the cabinetframe of FIG. 63 with a side panel installed;

FIG. 72 is a top front perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 63with one side panel installed and one side panel partially installed;

FIG. 73 is a partial bottom front perspective view of the cabinet frameof FIG. 63 with two side panels;

FIG. 74A is a top front perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 63with cable management fingers and a top cap;

FIG. 74B is a partial exploded view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 74A;

FIG. 74C is a partial top front perspective view of the cabinet frame ofFIG. 74A with one top cap and a chimney;

FIG. 75 is a top front perspective view of another embodiment of acabinet frame of the electronics cabinet of FIG. 62;

FIG. 76 is a partial exploded view of an equipment rail, cablemanagement finger rail, and reinforcement channel of the cabinet frameof FIG. 75;

FIG. 77 is a top plan view of an equipment rail, cable management fingerrail, and reinforcement channel of the cabinet frame of FIG. 75;

FIG. 78 is a partial exploded top rear perspective view of the cabinetframe of FIG. 75;

FIG. 78A is an enlarged top rear perspective view of detail 78A of FIG.78;

FIG. 78B is an enlarged top rear perspective view of detail 78B of FIG.78;

FIG. 79 is a top rear perspective view of the cabinet frame of FIG. 75with air dams shown in an exploded view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in FIGS. 1-3, one example of an electronics cabinet 100includes cabinet frame 200 (FIGS. 4-16), equipment rails 300A, 300B(FIGS. 17-31), front door 400 (FIGS. 32-37), back door 500 (FIGS.38-43), side door 600 (FIGS. 44-52), and top cap 700 (FIGS. 53-61).

As shown in FIG. 4, cabinet frame 200 includes front-to-back beams 210,top and bottom side-to-side beams 220A, 220B, vertical posts 230, andface plates 240.

As shown in FIG. 5, front-to-back beams 210 and top side-to-side beams220A are connected to form top frame 250A. Similarly, front-to-backbeams 210 and bottom side-to-side beams 220B are connected to formbottom frame 250B. Preferably, front-to-back beams 210 are permanentlyconnected to side-to-side beams 220A, 220B, for example, using permanentconnectors, such as rivets and welds, but it is likewise contemplatedthat front-to-back beams 210 are removably connected to side-to-sidebeams 220A, 220B, for example, using removable connectors, such as nutsand bolts and screws.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, vertical posts 230 are connected to top andbottom frames 250A, 250B, and more particularly, side-to-side beams220A, 220B, to form cabinet frame 200. Preferably, vertical posts 230are removably connected to side-to-side beams 220A, 220B, for example,using removable connectors, such as nuts and bolts and screws, but it islikewise contemplated that vertical posts 230 are permanently connectedto side-to-side beams 220A, 220B, for example, using permanentconnectors, such as rivets and welds. Cover plates 232 are removablyconnected to vertical posts 230, for example, using removableconnectors, such as nuts and bolts and screws, and when removed, provideaccess to cabinet frame assembly openings 234. Additionally, wheninstalled, cover plates 232 act as standoffs for ganging multiplecabinets.

Additionally, face plates 240 are removably connected to side-to-sidebeams 220A, 220B and vertical posts 230, for example, using removableconnectors, such as nuts and bolts and screws, but it is likewisecontemplated that face plates 240 are permanently connected toside-to-side beams 220A, 220B, for example, using permanent connectors,such as rivets and welds. Preferably, face plates 240 provide additionalstiffness to cabinet frame 200, and more particularly, side-to-sidebeams 220A, 220B and vertical posts 230. Cover plates 242 are removablyconnected to face plates 240, and ultimately, side-to-side beams 220A,for example, using removable connectors, such as nuts and bolts andscrews, and when removed, provide access to cable routing openings 224,244.

Preferably, top and bottom frames 250A, 250B are assembled beforeshipping electronics cabinet 100, for example, at a factory. However,vertical posts 230 and face plates 240, as well as equipment rails 300,front door 400, back door 500, side door 600, and top cap 700, might beassembled after shipping electronics cabinet 100, for example, at a datacenter or a remote assembly facility located near the data center, whichreduces the shipping volume, and therefore, the shipping cost ofelectronics cabinet 100, without significantly impacting the assemblytime.

As shown in FIGS. 8-10, front and back casters 260A, 260B and levelinglegs 270 are connected to bottom frame 250B, and more particularly,bottom side-to-side beams 220B. Preferably, back casters 260B andleveling legs 270 are rotatably connected to bottom frame 250B, and moreparticularly, bottom side-to-side beams 220B, to aid in positioning andleveling of electronics cabinet 100, but it is likewise contemplatedthat front casters 260A, taken alone or in combination with back casters260B, are rotatably connected to bottom frame 250B, and moreparticularly, bottom side-to-side beams 220B, to further aid inpositioning of electronics cabinet 100.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, front-to-back beams 210 are inset relativeto vertical posts 230, and more particularly, intersection ofside-to-side beams 220A, 220B and vertical posts 230, formingcable-routing area 280 along the side of cabinet frame 200, for example,between equipment-mounting area 290, as defined by equipment rails 300A,300B, and side door panels 610A, 610B of side door 600.

As the width of electronics cabinet 100 is increased, for example, from600 mm (FIGS. 11 and 12) to 700 mm (FIGS. 13 and 14) and 800 mm (FIGS.15 and 16), the width of cable-routing area 280 is increased, while thewidth of equipment-mounting area 290 remains the same.

As shown in FIGS. 17-19 and 28-31, equipment rails 300A, 300B areconnected to cabinet frame 200, and more particularly, front-to-backbeams 210 of top and bottom frames 250A, 250B. Preferably, equipmentrails 300A, 300B are adjustable. That is, equipment rails 300A, 300B areremovably connected to cabinet frame 200, and more particularly,front-to-back beams 210 of top and bottom frames 250A, 250B, forexample, using removable connectors, such as nuts and bolts and screws.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 31, equipment rails 300A, 300Binclude channel nuts 310 and mounting bolts 320. Channel nuts 310includes tabs 312 for positioning channel nuts 310 through top openings212 in front-to-back beams 210 and aligning channel nuts 310 with sideopenings 214 in front-to-back beam 210. Additionally, channel nuts 310include barbs 314 for securing channel nuts 310 to front-to-back beams210 and grounding equipment rails 300 to cabinet frame 200.

As shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, when channel nuts 310 and mounting bolts320 are engaged and tight, equipment rails 300A, 300B are secured tofront-to-back beams 210. However, when channel nuts 310 and mountingbolts 320 are engaged, but loose, equipment rails 300A, 300B slide alongelongated openings 214 in front-to-back beams 210, allowing equipmentrails 300A, 300B to be positioned at any number of locations alongelongated openings 214 in front-to-back beams 210.

Depending on the location of equipment rails 300A, 300B, additionalcable routing areas 280 might be provided, for example, in the front ofelectronics cabinet 100 and in the back of electronics cabinet 100.

Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 19 and 31, equipment rails 300A, 300Binclude stiffeners 330, which are removably connected to equipment rails300A, 300B, for example, using removable connectors, such as nuts andbolts and screws, but it is likewise contemplated that stiffeners 330are permanently connected to equipment rails 300A, 300B, for example,using permanent connectors, such as rivets and welds. Alternatively,equipment rails 300A, 300B and stiffeners 330 are integrally formed.

As shown in FIGS. 22-27, equipment rails 300B include mounting openings340 for mounting electronic equipment, such as servers, patch panels,and switches, in electronics cabinet 100, and are configured to receiveaccessory mounting brackets, such as patch panel cassette mountingbrackets 350 and cable management finger mounting brackets 360, formounting accessories, such as patch panel cassettes 352 and cablemanagement fingers 362 in electronics cabinet 100, and moreparticularly, cable routing area 280 of electronics cabinet 100.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 22-24, equipment rails 300B include patchpanel cassette mounting brackets 350 for mounting patch panel cassettes352 to equipment rails 300B. As shown in FIG. 24, patch panel cassettemounting brackets 350 are removably connected to equipment rails 300B,for example, using removable connectors, such as nuts and bolts andscrews, but it is likewise contemplated that patch panel cassettemounting brackets 350 are permanently connected to equipment rails 300B,for example, using permanent connectors, such as rivets and welds.Alternatively, equipment rails 300B and patch panel cassette mountingbrackets 350 are integrally formed. Patch panel cassettes 352 snap-fitinto patch panel cassette housings 354, which in turn, snap-fit intopatch panel cassette mounting brackets 350. As such, patch panelcassette housings 354 are quickly and easily removed from patch panelcassette mounting brackets 350, providing greater access to patch panelcassettes 350.

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 25-27, equipment rails 300B includecable management finger mounting brackets 360 for mounting cablemanagement fingers 362 to equipment rails 300B. As shown in FIG. 27,cable management finger mounting brackets 360 are removably connected toequipment rails 300B, for example, using removable connectors, such asnuts and bolts and screws, but it is likewise contemplated that cablemanagement finger mounting brackets 350 are permanently connected toequipment rails 300B, for example, using permanent connectors, such asrivets and welds. Alternatively, equipment rails 300B and cablemanagement finger mounting brackets 360 are integrally formed. Cablemanagement fingers 362 snap-fit into cable management finger mountingbrackets 360.

As shown in FIGS. 28-31, equipment rails 300A include mounting openings340 for mounting electronic equipment, such as servers, patch panels,and switches, in electronics cabinet 100, and are configured to receiveblanking panels, such as horizontal blanking panels (not shown), whichare typically mounted to equipment rails 300A using mounting openings340, and vertical blanking panels 370, for sealing open areas ofelectronics cabinet 100 to separate cooled intake air and heated exhaustair.

For example, as shown in FIGS. 28-31, equipment rails 300A includevertical blanking panels 370. As shown in FIG. 30, vertical blankingpanels 370 are removably connected to equipment rails 300A, for example,using removable connectors, such as nuts and bolts and screws, but it islikewise contemplated that vertical blanking panels 370 are permanentlyconnected to equipment rails 300A, for example, using permanentconnectors, such as rivets and welds. Alternatively, equipment rails300A and vertical blanking panels 370 are integrally formed.Additionally, vertical blanking panels 370 are removably connected tovertical posts 230, providing additional stiffness to cabinet frame 200,and more particularly, vertical posts 230.

As shown in FIGS. 32 and 34, front door 400 includes front door panel410, which is rotatably connected to cabinet frame 200, and moreparticularly, face plate 240, and ultimately, vertical post 230, androtates from closed position (FIG. 32) to open position (FIG. 34).Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 36 and 37, front door panel 410 isremovably connected to cabinet frame 200, and includes spring-loadedhinge pins 420 for quick and easy installation and removal thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 38 and 40, back door 500 includes back door panels510, which are rotatably connected to cabinet frame 200, and moreparticularly, face plate 240, and ultimately, vertical post 230, androtate from closed position (FIG. 38) to open position (FIG. 40).Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 42 and 43, back door panels 510 areremovably connected to cabinet frame 200, and include flanges 520 toprevent removal of back door panels 510 when open.

As shown in FIGS. 44, 46, and 50, side door 600 includes side doorpanels 610A, 610B, which are rotatably connected to cabinet frame 200,and more particularly, vertical posts 230, as well as top cap 700, androtate from closed position (FIG. 46) to open position (FIGS. 46 and50). Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 48, 49, 51, and 52, side doorpanels 610A, 610B are removably connected to cabinet frame 200, as wellas top cap 700, and include spring-loaded hinge pins 620 for quick andeasy installation and removal thereof.

As shown in FIGS. 53-55, top cap 700 is removably connected to cabinetframe 200, and more particularly, front-to-back beams 210 andside-to-side beams 220A of top frame 250A and vertical posts 230, forexample, using removable connectors, such as nuts and bolts and screws,and includes data cable openings 720, for example, fitted with grommets722 and grommet covers 724, disposed above the sides of sever cabinet100, and more particularly, cable-routing areas 280, and power cableopenings 730, for example, fitted with knock-outs 732, disposed abovethe back of electronics cabinet 100.

As the width of electronics cabinet 100 is increased, for example, from600 mm (FIGS. 56 and 57) to 700 mm (FIGS. 58 and 59) and 800 mm (FIGS.60 and 61), the width of data cable opening 720 is increased, forexample, to accommodate the additional width of cable-routing area 280.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, sensors (not shown),such as door position sensors and environmental sensors (e.g.,temperature, humidity, etc.) are mounted on cabinet frame 200, forexample, in openings 224, 244.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, modular jacks (notshown), such as Panduit® Mini-Com® modular jacks, can be mounted, forexample, in openings 224, 244 for quick and easy connection anddisconnection of door-mounted electronics, such as handles, keypads,readers, and sensors.

Referring to FIGS. 62-63, another example of an electronics cabinet 1000is shown that includes a reinforced cabinet frame 1100 so that theelectronics cabinet 1000 can be shipped and moved fully loaded withelectronic equipment. The example electronic cabinet 1000 withreinforced cabinet frame 1100 is capable of being shipped with a 2000pound equipment load while maintaining the structural integrity of thecabinet and the security of the electronic equipment. The exampleelectronics cabinet 1000 can be used for server cabinet applications andis a 700 mm wide by 1200 mm deep by 42 rack unit (RU) tall server typecabinet, but could be any size cabinet as desired depending on theparticular application. In addition to cabinet frame 1100, electronicscabinet 1000 generally includes front and rear equipment rails 1200A and1200B, front door 1300, rear door 1400, side panels 1500, and top cap1600.

As shown in FIGS. 63 and 65-67, cabinet frame 1100 generally includesfront-to-back beams 1105, top and bottom side to side beams 1110, 1115,vertical posts 1125, and face plates 1130, which are all similar to thefront-to-back beams 210, top and bottom side-to-side beams 220A, 220B,vertical posts 230, and face plates 240 described above. In addition,cabinet frame 1100 also includes upper side panel beams 1135, lower sidepanel beams 1140, and reinforcing front-to-back beams 1145.

A pair of front-to-back beams 1105 are welded, or otherwise securelyfastened or connected, to top side-to-side beams 1110 to form a topframe 1120A and another pair of front-to-back beams 1105 are welded, orotherwise securely fastened or connected, to bottom side-to-side beams1115 to form a bottom frame 1120B. Vertical posts 1125 are welded, orotherwise securely fastened or connected, to top and bottom frames1120A, 1120B and, in the particular example shown, are welded to topside-to-side beams 1110 and bottom side-to-side beams 1115, near theends of top and bottom side-to-side beams 1110, 1115. Front-to-backbeams 1105 are inset relative to vertical posts 1125 and relative to theintersection of top and bottom side-to-side beams 1110, 1115 andvertical posts 1125, forming cable-routing areas 1190 (FIG. 68) alongthe side of cabinet frame 1100 and between equipment-mounting area 1195,as defined by front and rear equipment rails 1200A, 1200B, and sidepanels 1500. Depending on the width of electronics cabinet 1000 (e.g.,600 mm, 700 mm, 800 mm, etc.) the width of cable-routing area 1190 willbe larger or smaller, while the width of equipment-mounting area 1195remains the same.

Face plates 1130 can also be removably connected to top and bottomside-to-side beams 1110, 1115 and to vertical posts 1125, for exampleusing removable connectors such as nuts and bolts or screws, or can bepermanently connected to top and bottom side-to-side beams 1110, 1115using a permanent connection such as rivets or welds. Face plates 1130can be used to provide additional rigidity to cabinet frame 1100, andmore particularly, to top and bottom side-to-side beams 1110, 1115 andvertical posts 1125. Cover plates 1132 can also be removably connectedto face plates 1130 using removable connectors, such as nuts and boltsor screws, and when removed can provide access to cable routingopenings.

Upper side panel beams 1135 are welded to upper portions of verticalposts 1125 and tube shaped lower side panel beams 1140 are welded tobottom portions of vertical posts 1125. Upper and lower side panel beams1135, 1140 support and secure side panels 1500, as described below, andenhance the front to back directional strength of cabinet frame 1100 byrestricting torsional twist of top and bottom side-to-side beams 1110,1115, which can experience extreme forces during shipping.

In the example shown, cabinet frame 1100 also includes reinforcingfront-to-back beams 1145 to increase the overall rigidity of cabinetframe 1100, making electronics cabinet 1000 more resistant to impactdeformation. In the particular example shown, each of the reinforcingfront-to-back beams 1145 consist of a three piece assembly and arewelded, or otherwise securely fastened or connected, to between verticalposts 1125. However, reinforcing front-to-back beams 1145 can also be asingle, unitary unit. Welding or otherwise securing reinforcingfront-to-back beams 1145 between vertical posts 1125 creates rigidity inthe front to back direction of cabinet frame 1100, which translates to areduction of frame deflection from vibrations and impacts during theshipping and transporting of the final loaded electronics cabinet 1000.As describe in more detail below, reinforcing front-to-back beams 1145are also connected to the front and rear equipment rails 1200A, 1200B,which distributes a portion of the vertical load encountered by thefront and rear equipment rails 1200A, 1200B to the vertical posts 1125of the cabinet frame 1100, where additional structural support exists.

Cabinet frame 1100 can also include front and rear gussets 1150, 1155A,1155B to further increase the rigidity of cabinet frame 1100. A pair offront gussets 1150 can be welded, or otherwise securely fastened orconnected, to front vertical posts 1125 and lower front-to-back beams1105, a first pair of rear gussets 1155A can be welded, or otherwisesecurely fastened or connected, to rear vertical posts 1125 and lowerfront-to-back beams 1105, and a second pair of rear gussets 1155B can bewelded, or otherwise securely fastened or connected, to rear verticalposts 1125 and rear top side-to-side beam 1110. With the rear of cabinetframe 1100 lacking the added support of structural air dams 1250, asdescribed below, rear gussets 1155A, 1155B provide increased rigidity.

As discussed above for electronics cabinet 100, leveling legs 1185 orcasters can be connected to bottom frame 1120B, and more particularly,bottom side-to-side beams 1115 as shown in FIGS. 70-71. Preferably,leveling legs 1185 or casters would be rotatably connected to bottomframe 1120B to aid in the positioning and leveling of electronicscabinet 1000.

Referring to FIGS. 63-68, standard front and rear equipment rails 1200A,1200B are removably connected to front-to-back beams 1105 of top andbottom frames 1120A, 1120B with removable connectors, such as nuts,bolts, channel nuts, screws, etc., in the same manner discussed abovefor equipment rails 300A, 300B and front-to-back beams 210. Front andrear equipment rails 1200A, 1200B include mounting openings 1205 formounting electronic equipment, such as servers, patch panels, andswitches, in electronics cabinet 1000 and are configured to receivehorizontal blanking panels (not shown). As discussed above, rearequipment rail 1200B can also be configured to receive accessorymounting brackets, such as patch panel cassette mounting brackets andcable management finger mounting brackets 1215, for mountingaccessories, such as patch panel cassettes and cable management fingers1220 in electronics cabinet 1000 (FIG. 74A). In the example shown, frontequipment rail 1200A is secured to front vertical posts 1125, while rearequipment rail 1200B is adjustable.

As shown in FIGS. 64A and 64B, front and rear equipment rails 1200A,1200B can also include stiffeners 1210, which can be removably connectedto equipment rails 1200A, 1200B using removable connectors, such as nutsand bolts and screws. Alternatively, equipment rails 1200A, 1200B andstiffeners 1210 could be integrally formed.

To provide additional strength and rigidity to cabinet frame 1100 and tothe front and rear equipment rails 1200A, 1200B, additional structuralfeatures and connections are also incorporated into cabinet frame 1100.

As shown in FIGS. 64A, 64B, and 68, each front equipment rail 1200A isconnected to a structural air dam 1250 with threaded members 1255, suchas screws or nuts and bolts, or could be permanently attached to astructural air dam 1250 through rivets, welds, etc., to form a frontequipment rail assembly. When installed in cabinet frame 1100 asdescribed below, the front equipment rail assembly can be used totransfer some of the dynamic forces encountered by front equipment rails1200A into the front vertical posts 1125. Structural air dams 1250 havea generally C-shaped cross section and have pass-thru cutouts 1260 toallow cabling and power to pass through from the front to the rear ofelectronics cabinet 1000 without utilizing open RU spacing. The size andshape of each pass-thru cutout 1260 is optimized to allow the maximumamount of cabling to pass through while still utilizing well knownsealing solutions, such as blanks, bezels, boots, etc. When not in use,pass-thru cutouts 1260 can be covered with cover plates 1265, which canbe secured to structural air dam 1250 with threaded members 1270.

Each front equipment rail assembly, having a front equipment rail 1200Aand a structural air dam 1250, is positioned adjacent one of the frontvertical posts 1125 and the front equipment rail 1200A is connected tothe top and bottom front-to-back beams 1105 as described above. As shownin FIG. 66, each structural air dam 1250 is also secured to thecorresponding front vertical post 1125 and to each of the adjacentreinforcing front-to-back beams 1145. Structural air dams 1250 aresecured to front vertical posts 1125 with post brackets 1700. Each postbracket 1700 has a generally L-shaped first portion 1705 and a generallyplanar second portion 1710. First portion 1705 of post bracket 1700 issecured to structural air dam 1250 with threaded members 1810, forexample with screws or nuts and bolts, and second portion 1710 of postbracket 1700 is secured to front vertical post 1125 with threadedmembers, for example with screws or nuts and bolts. Bolts 1715 areinserted through aligned holes (not shown) in first and second portions1705, 1710 and secured by nuts 1720, thereby rigidly securing structuralair dam 1250 to front vertical post 1125. Structural air dams 1250 arealso secured to each adjacent reinforcing front-to-back beam 1145 withbeam brackets 1800. Each beam bracket 1800 is generally L-shaped and hasa first portion 1805 and a second portion 1815 that is generallyperpendicular to first portion 1805 and is sized to fit in a channel1160 formed in reinforcing front-to-back beams 1145. First portion 1805is secured to structural air dam 1250 with threaded members 1810, suchas screws or nuts and bolts, and second portion 1815 is secured toreinforcing front-to-back beam 1145 with threaded members 1820, such asscrews or nuts and bolts, thereby rigidly securing structural air dam1250 to reinforcing front-to-back beams 1145.

Post brackets 1700 and beam brackets 1800 connect the structural airdams 1250, and therefore the front equipment rails 1200A, to the frontvertical posts 1125 and the reinforcing front-to-back beams 1145,respectively, to create a more robust junction and simplifiesconstruction of structural air dams 1250. The equipment rail assemblyhas front-to-back and side-to-side strength enhanced by the connectionof the equipment rail assembly to front vertical posts 1125 andreinforcing front-to-back beams 1145 and the overall rigidity of cabinetframe 1100 is increased by effectively adding structure to frontvertical posts 1125.

Rear equipment rails 1200B are also provided with additional support byconnecting rear equipment rails 1200B to reinforcing front-to-backbeams. Referring to FIG. 67, rear equipment rails 1200B are secured toadjacent reinforcing front-to-back beams 1145 with rear beam brackets1900. Each rear beam bracket 1900 is generally L-shaped and has a firstportion 1905 and a second portion 1915 that is generally perpendicularto first portion 1905 and is sized to fit in channel 1160 of reinforcingfront-to-back beams 1145. First portion 1905 is secured to rearequipment rail 1200B with threaded members 1910, such as screws or nutsand bolts, and second portion 1915 is secured to reinforcingfront-to-back beam 1145 with threaded members 1920, such as screws ornuts and bolts, thereby securing rear equipment rail 1200B toreinforcing front-to-back beams 1145.

Referring generally to FIG. 62, front door 1300 and rear door 1400 ofelectronics cabinet 1000 have the same structure as front door 400 andrear door 500 of electronics cabinet 100 described above and areconnected to cabinet frame 1100 in the same manner as that describedabove for front door 400 and rear door 500 of electronics cabinet 100.

Referring to FIGS. 70-73, side panels 1500 include a panel 1505 and atubular member 1510 connected adjacent a bottom of panel 1505. Anextended steel tab 1515 is connected to tubular member 1510, extendsfrom the bottom of panel 1505, and is configured to engage slot 1142 inlower side panel beams 1140 of cabinet frame 1100. As shown in FIGS.70-71, a side panel 1500 is positioned such that tab 1515 is alignedwith slot 1142 of lower side panel beam 1140 and tab 1515 is insertedinto slot 1142. The bottom of panel 1505 then rests directly on the topsurface 1143 of lower side panel beam 1140. Once tab 1515 is engaged inslot 1142, side panel 1500 can be rotated towards cabinet frame 1100until side panel 1500 is vertical and the top of panel 1500 engages theupper side panel beam 1135.

In the example shown, each side panel 1500 also has a pair ofretractable latches 1530 extending from opposite sides of the upperportion of side panel 1500. One of the latches 1530 engages an aperture1540 formed in a corner bracket 1535 that is bolted, or otherwisesecured, to cabinet frame 1100. For example, as can best be seen inFIGS. 72 and 73, corner bracket 1535 can be bolted to upper side panelbeam 1135 and vertical post 1125 to secure corner bracket 1535 tocabinet frame 1100. The opposite latch 1530 engages an aperture 1550formed in a center post that is bolted, or otherwise secured, to upperand lower side panel beams 1135, 1140. As is shown in FIG. 72, inaddition to being secured to upper and lower side panel beams 1135,1140, center post 1545 can also be bolted, or otherwise secured, to oneor more reinforcing front-to-back beams 1145 to provide added stability.As side panel 1500 is rotated towards cabinet frame 1100, latches 1530are manually retracted. When side panel 1500 is vertical and the top ofpanel 1500 engages upper side panel beam 1135, latches 1530 are releasedand extend to engage aperture 1540 in corner bracket 1535 and aperture1550 in center post 1545 to secure side panel 1500 to cabinet frame1100.

As shown in FIGS. 72 and 73, each side panel 1500 can also include alocking mechanism 1520, such as a key driven quarter turn lock, adjacenta top of side panel 1500, that can be rotated to drive a cam 1525 oflocking mechanism 1520 behind a flange 1107 of upper side panel beam1135 to prevent removal of side panel 1500.

Referring to FIGS. 62 and 74A-C, top cap 1600 is removably connected tofront-to-back beams 1105 and top side-to-side beams 1110 of cabinetframe 1100 using threaded members (not shown), such as screws or nutsand bolts. In the example shown, top cap 1600 is a two-piececonstruction having a front portion 1605 and a rear portion 1610. Frontportion 1605 of top cap 1600 can include data cable openings along thesides of front portion 1605 fitted with grommets and grommet covers1615, as described above for top cap 700 of electronics cabinet 100.Rear portion 1610 of top cap 1600 can also include data cable openingsalong the sides of rear portion 1610 fitted with grommets and grommetcovers 1615 and power cable openings along the rear of rear portion1610, as described above for top cap 700 of electronics cabinet 100. Inthe example shown, power cable openings in rear portion 1610 are coveredby covers 1620, which are secured to rear portion 1610 by threadedmembers. As can be seen in FIGS. 74B and 74C, rear portion 1610 of topcap 1600 can be removed to allow the installation of a chimney 1630, orother vertical exhaust duct (VED), such as a standard Panduit® 2.0 VED.

In certain embodiments of electronics cabinet 1000, sensors (not shown),such as door position sensors and environmental sensors (e.g.,temperature, humidity, etc.) can be mounted on cabinet frame 100 in theopenings in top side-to-side beams that are covered by cover plates1132. Similarly, modular jacks (not shown), such as Panduit® Mini-Com®modular jacks, can also be mounted on cabinet frame 100 in the openingsin top side-to-side beams that are covered by cover plates 1132 forquick and easy connection and disconnection of door-mounted electronics,such as handles, keypads, readers, and sensors.

Referring to FIGS. 75-79, another example of a reinforced cabinet frame2100 is shown that can also be used with an electronics cabinet that canbe shipped and moved fully loaded with electronic equipment. The exampleelectronic cabinet with reinforced cabinet frame 2100 is capable ofbeing shipped with a 1200 pound equipment load while maintaining thestructural integrity of the cabinet and the security of the electronicequipment and can be used for network cabinet applications. In theexample shown, the electronics cabinet with cabinet frame 1100 is a 800mm wide by 1200 mm deep by 42 RU tall network type cabinet, but could beany size cabinet as desired depending on the particular application. Inaddition to cabinet frame 2100, the example electronics cabinetgenerally would again include front and rear equipment rails 1200A and1200B, front door 1300, rear door 1400, side panels 1500, and top cap1600 as discussed above for electronics cabinet 1000. Since front door1300, rear door 1400, side panels 1500, and top cap 1600 are the same asdiscussed above for electronics cabinet 1000, these features have beenremoved from FIGS. 75-79 for clarity and only the cabinet frame 2100 andfront and rear equipment rails 2200A and 2200B will be described below.

Cabinet frame 2100 is similar to cabinet frame 1100 described above, butincludes various features that are required for a network cabinetapplication. For example, as described above for cabinet frame 1100,cabinet frame 2100 also generally includes front-to-back beams 1105, topand bottom side to side beams 1110, 1115, vertical posts 1125, faceplates 1130, upper side panel beams 1135, and lower side panel beams1140. As described above, a pair of front-to-back beams 1105 are welded,or otherwise securely fastened or connected, to top side-to-side beams1110 to form a top frame 1120A, another pair of front-to-back beams 1105are welded, or otherwise securely fastened or connected, to bottomside-to-side beams 1115 to form a bottom frame 1120B, vertical posts1125 are welded, or otherwise securely fastened or connected, to top andbottom frames 1120A, 1120B, upper side panel beams 1135 are welded to atop portion of vertical posts 1125, and tube shaped lower side panelbeams 1140 are welded to a bottom portion of vertical posts. Face plates1130 can also be removably connected to top and bottom side-to-sidebeams 1110, 1115 and to vertical posts 1125 and cover plates 1132 canalso be removably connected to face plates 1130 using removableconnectors, such as nuts and bolts or screws. Cabinet frame 2100 canalso include front and rear gussets 1150, 1155A, 1155B to furtherincrease the rigidity of cabinet frame 2100, as described above.

As discussed above for electronics cabinet 1100, leveling legs orcasters 1180 (FIGS. 78, 78B, and 79) can be connected to bottom frame1120B. Preferably, leveling legs or casters 1180 would be rotatablyconnected to bottom frame 1120B to aid in the positioning and levelingof electronics cabinet 1000.

Unlike front equipment rails 1200A, front equipment rails 2200A are setback from the front of cabinet frame 2100 to accommodate patch panelcabling. Therefore, to provide additional strength and rigidity tocabinet frame 2100 and to the front and rear equipment rails 2200A,2200B, additional structural features and connections are alsoincorporated into cabinet frame 2100. Front and rear equipment rails2200A, 2200B include mounting openings 1205 for mounting electronicequipment, such as servers, patch panels, and switches and areconfigured to receive horizontal blanking panels (not shown). Rearequipment rail 2200B can also be configured to receive accessorymounting brackets, such as patch panel cassette mounting brackets andcable management finger mounting brackets 2215 (FIG. 79), for mountingaccessories, such as patch panel cassettes and cable management fingers.Front and rear equipment rails 2200A, 2200B can also include stiffeners1210, which can be removably connected to equipment rails 2200A, 2200Busing removable connectors 1212, such as nuts and bolts and screws.Alternatively, equipment rails 2200A, 2200B and stiffeners 1210 could beintegrally formed.

As shown in FIGS. 76 and 77, each front equipment rail 2200A isconnected to a channel member 2230 with threaded members 2235, such asscrews or nuts and bolts, or could be permanently attached to channelmember 2230 through rivets, welds, etc., and vertical cable managementrail 2240 are also connected to channel member 2230 with threadedmembers 2245, such as screws or nuts and bolts, or could be permanentlyattached to channel member 2230 through rivets, welds, etc., to form areinforced front equipment rail assembly 2280. Channel members 2230 havea generally C-shaped cross section and can be made of 3 mm thick steel,while front equipment rail 2200A and vertical cable management rail 2240can be made of 2 mm thick steel.

Vertical cable management rails 2240 can be used for mounting cablemanagement fingers to front equipment rail assembly 2280 such that cablemanagement fingers snap-fit into vertical cable management rail 2240.

Referring to FIGS. 78, 78A, and 78B, front and rear equipment rails2200A, 2200B are removably connected to front-to-back beams 1105 of topand bottom frames 1120A, 1120B using elongated channel nuts 2350 andmounting bolts 2370. Channel nuts 2350 fit within a channel formed inthe inner side of front-to-back beams 1105 such that channel nuts 2350can slide longitudinally within the channel and have a pair of fingers2355 that extend through a slot 1108 in front-to-back beams 1105.Mounting bolts 2370 extend through a hole 1213 in stiffener 1210 (FIG.76), or through a hole in front or rear equipment rail 2200A, 2200B if astiffener 1210 is not used, and are threaded into a threaded hole 2360in channel nut 2350. When channel nuts 2350 and mounting bolts 2370 areengaged and tight, equipment rails 2200A, 2200B are secured tofront-to-back beams 1105. However, when channel nuts 2350 and mountingbolts 2370 are engaged, but loose, equipment rails 2200A, 2200B cabslide along slots 1108 in front-to-back beams 1105, allowing equipmentrails 2200A, 2200B to be positioned at any number of locations alongfront-to-back beams 1105.

In addition to channel nuts 2350 and mounting bolts 2370, frontequipment rail assemblies 2280 could be further secured to front-to-backbeams 1105 with additional top and bottom mounting brackets 2410, 2450,which can be made from 3 mm thick steel. This additional support insuresthe front equipment rail assemblies 2280 do not move or bend when underthe application load. As can be seen in FIG. 78A, top mounting bracket2410 has a generally U-shaped body 2415 that fits over the top portionof front equipment rail assembly 2280 and includes holes 2420 that alignwith threaded holes 2242 to secure top mounting bracket 2410 to verticalcable management rail 2240 with threaded members 2422 and holes 2425that align with threaded holes 2232 to secure top mounting bracket 2410to channel member 2230 with threaded members 2427. A pair of flanges2430 extend from either side of body 2415 and each include an elongatedhole 2435 that aligns with a threaded hole 2360 to secure top mountingbracket 2410 to channel nut 2350 with threaded members 2440 and tosecure everything together.

As can be seen in FIG. 78B, bottom mounting bracket 2450 also has agenerally U-shaped body 2455 that fits over the bottom portion of frontequipment rail assembly 2280 and includes holes 2460 that align withthreaded holes 2242 to secure bottom mounting bracket 2450 to verticalcable management rail 2240 with threaded members 2462 and holes 2465that align with threaded holes 2232 to secure bottom mounting bracket2450 to channel member 2230 with threaded members 2467. A first flange2470 extends from a side of body 2455 and includes an elongated hole2475 that aligns with a threaded hole 2360 to secure bottom mountingbracket 2450 to channel nut 2350 with threaded member 2480 and to secureeverything together. A pair of flanges 2485 also extend from the bottomof body 2455 and each include an opening that aligns with a threadedhole 1117 to secure bottom mounting bracket 2450 to bottom side-to-sidebeam 1115 with threaded members 2490.

Referring to FIGS. 75 and 79, vertical blanking panels or non-structuralair dams 2550 can also be attached to the front equipment railassemblies 2280 for hot/cold air separation in the electronics cabinet.Brackets 2555 can be secured to the upper and lower portions of channelmember 2230 with threaded members 2560 and vertical blanking panels 2550can be secured to brackets 2555 with threaded members 2565. In addition,if multiple vertical blanking panels are used, as shown in FIGS. 75 and79, one or more additional brackets 2570 can be secured to channelmember 2230 with threaded members 2575 and adjacent vertical blankingpanels 2550 can be secured to the additional brackets 2570 with threadedmembers 2580. Alternatively, a single vertical blanking panel could beused and secured using only brackets 2555. Each vertical blanking panel2550 can include one or more cable pass through openings 2585 and a bootor other sealing element can be installed in openings 2585 to sealopenings 2585 when cables are present. When not in used, openings 2585can be sealed with cover plates 2590 and secured to vertical blankingpanels 2550 with threaded members 2592. In addition, a sealing member2595, such as a 1 inch×1 inch foam gasket, can be secured to the outeredge of the vertical blanking panels to form a seal between verticalblanking panels 2550 and side panels 1500 or adjacent cabinets.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the relevant artsthat changes and modifications may be made without departing from theinvention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the aim in the appendedclaims is to cover all such changes and modifications that fall withinthe true spirit and scope of the invention. The matter set forth in theforegoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way ofillustration only and not as a limitation. The actual scope of theinvention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewedin their proper perspective based on the prior art.

We claim:
 1. An electronics cabinet, comprising: a cabinet frameincluding a first pair of front-to-back beams connected to a pair of topside-to-side beams, a second pair of front-to-back beams connected to apair of bottom side-to-side beams, and a plurality of vertical postsconnected to the top side-to-side beams and the bottom side-to-sidebeams; a front equipment rail removably connected to one of the firstpair of front-to-back beams and to one of the second pair offront-to-back beams; and a structural air dam removably connected to thefront equipment rail and to one of the plurality of vertical posts. 2.The electronics cabinet of claim 1, wherein the first pair offront-to-back beams are welded to the pair of side-to-side beams, thesecond pair of front-to-back beams are welded to the pair of bottomside-to-side beams, and the vertical posts are welded to the topside-to-side beams and the bottom side-to-side beams.
 3. The electronicscabinet of claim 1, wherein the first pair of front-to-back beams andthe second pair of front-to-back beams are inset relative to thecorresponding vertical posts.
 4. The electronics cabinet of claim 1,wherein the cabinet frame further comprises a reinforcing front-to-backbeam positioned between a pair of the plurality of vertical posts andconnected to the pair of vertical posts.
 5. The electronics cabinet ofclaim 4, wherein the reinforcing front-to-back beam is welded to thepair of vertical posts.
 6. The electronics cabinet of claim 4, whereinthe structural air dam is connected to reinforcing front-to-back beam.7. The electronics cabinet of claim 6, wherein the structural air dam isconnected to reinforcing front-to-back beam through a beam bracket. 8.The electronics cabinet of claim 4, further comprising a rear equipmentrail removably connected to one of the first pair of front-to-backbeams, to one of the second pair of front-to-back beams, and to thereinforcing front-to-back beam.
 9. The electronic cabinet of claim 8,wherein the rear equipment rail is connected to the reinforcingfront-to-back beam through a rear beam bracket.
 10. The electronicscabinet of claim 1, further comprising: an upper side panel beamconnected to two of the plurality of vertical posts; and a lower sidepanel beam connected to the two of the plurality of vertical posts. 11.The electronics cabinet of claim 10, wherein the upper side panel beamis welded to the two of the plurality of vertical posts and the lowerside panel beam is welded to the two of the plurality of vertical posts.12. The electronics cabinet of claim 10, further comprising a side panelconfigured to engage the lower side panel beam and the upper side panelbeam.
 13. The electronics cabinet of claim 12, wherein the side panelcomprises a tubular member having a tab that extends from a bottom ofthe side panel and is configured to engage a slot in the lower sidepanel beam such that the bottom of the side panel rests on a top surfaceof the lower side panel beam.
 14. The electronics cabinet of claim 13,wherein the side panel further comprises a locking mechanism adjacent atop of the side panel that is configured to engage a flange of one ofthe upper side panel beam to prevent removal of the side panel.
 15. Theelectronics cabinet of claim 1, wherein the structural air dam has agenerally C-shaped cross section and comprises at least one pass-thrucutout formed therethrough.
 16. The electronics cabinet of claim 1,wherein the structural air dam is connected to the front equipment railthrough a post bracket.
 17. The electronics cabinet of claim 1, furthercomprising top cap removably connected to a top of the cabinet frame.18. The electronics cabinet of claim 17, wherein the top cap comprises afront portion removably connected to the top of the cabinet frame and aseparate rear portion removably connected to the top of the cabinetframe.
 19. The electronics cabinet of claim 17, wherein the top capcomprises at least one opening configured to allow the passage of dataand/or power cables therethrough.
 20. The electronics cabinet of claim17, further comprising a vertical exhaust duct removably connected tothe top of the cabinet frame adjacent the top cap.
 21. An electronicscabinet, comprising: a cabinet frame including a first pair offront-to-back beams connected to a pair of top side-to-side beams, asecond pair of front-to-back beams connected to a pair of bottomside-to-side beams, and a plurality of vertical posts connected to thetop side-to-side beams and the bottom side-to-side beams; a frontequipment rail removably connected to one of the first pair offront-to-back beams and to one of the second pair of front-to-backbeams; and a channel member connected to the front equipment rail. 22.The electronics cabinet of claim 21, wherein the front equipment rail isrecessed from a front of the electronics cabinet.
 23. The electronicscabinet of claim 21, wherein the channel member has a generally C-shapedcross section and is thicker than the front equipment rail.
 24. Theelectronics cabinet of claim 21, further comprising a vertical cablemanagement rail connected to the channel member.
 25. The electronicscabinet of claim 21, further comprising a top mounting bracket securedto the channel member and to one of the first pair of front-to-backbeams.
 26. The electronics cabinet of claim 25, wherein the top mountingbracket is secured to a top channel nut positioned within a top channelformed in the one of the first pair of front-to-back beams.
 27. Theelectronics cabinet of claim 25, wherein the top mounting bracketcomprises: a generally U-shaped body secured to the channel member; anda flange extending from the body and secured to the one of the firstpair of front-to-back beams.
 28. The electronics cabinet of claim 27,wherein the top mounting bracket is secured to a top channel nutpositioned within a top channel formed in the one of the first pair offront-to-back beams and the flange is secured to the top channel nut.29. The electronics cabinet of claim 21, further comprising a bottommounting bracket secured to the channel member and to one of the secondpair of front-to-back beams.
 30. The electronics cabinet of claim 29,wherein the bottom mounting bracket is secured to a bottom channel nutpositioned within a bottom channel formed in the one of the second pairof front-to-back beams.
 31. The electronics cabinet of claim 29, whereinthe bottom mounting bracket is secured to one of the pair ofside-to-side beams.
 32. The electronics cabinet of claim 29, wherein thebottom mounting bracket comprises: a generally U-shaped body secured tothe channel member; a first flange extending from the body and securedto the one of the second pair of front-to-back beams.
 33. Theelectronics cabinet of claim 32, wherein the bottom mounting bracket issecured to a bottom channel nut positioned within a bottom channelformed in the one of the second pair of front-to-back beams and thefirst flange is secure to the bottom channel nut.
 34. The electronicscabinet of claim 32, wherein the bottom mounting bracket furthercomprises a second flange extending from the body and secured to the oneof the pair of bottom side-to-side beams.
 35. The electronics cabinet ofclaim 21, further comprising a vertical blanking panel attached to thefront equipment rail to provide hot/cold air separation in theelectronics cabinet.
 36. The electronics cabinet of claim 35, whereinthe vertical blanking panel comprises a cable pass through.
 37. Theelectronics cabinet of claim 21, wherein the first pair of front-to-backbeams are welded to the pair of side-to-side beams, the second pair offront-to-back beams are welded to the pair of bottom side-to-side beams,and the vertical posts are welded to the top side-to-side beams and thebottom side-to-side beams.
 38. The electronics cabinet of claim 21,wherein the first pair of front-to-back beams and the second pair offront-to-back beams are inset relative to the corresponding verticalposts.
 39. The electronics cabinet of claim 21, further comprising: anupper side panel beam connected to two of the plurality of verticalposts; and a lower side panel beam connected to the two of the pluralityof vertical posts.
 40. The electronics cabinet of claim 39, wherein theupper side panel beam is welded to the two of the plurality of verticalposts and the lower side panel beam is welded to the two of theplurality of vertical posts.
 41. The electronics cabinet of claim 39,further comprising a side panel configured to engage the lower sidepanel beam and the upper side panel beam.
 42. The electronics cabinet ofclaim 41, wherein the side panel comprises a tubular member having a tabthat extends from a bottom of the side panel and is configured to engagea slot in the lower side panel beam such that the bottom of the sidepanel rests on a top surface of the lower side panel beam.
 43. Theelectronics cabinet of claim 42, wherein the side panel furthercomprises a locking mechanism adjacent a top of the side panel that isconfigured to engage a flange of one of the upper side panel beam toprevent removal of the side panel.
 44. The electronics cabinet of claim21, further comprising top cap removably connected to a top of thecabinet frame.
 45. The electronics cabinet of claim 44, wherein the topcap comprises a front portion removably connected to the top of thecabinet frame and a separate rear portion removably connected to the topof the cabinet frame.
 46. The electronics cabinet of claim 44, whereinthe top cap comprises at least one opening configured to allow thepassage of data and/or power cables therethrough.
 47. The electronicscabinet of claim 44, further comprising a vertical exhaust ductremovably connected to the top of the cabinet frame adjacent the topcap.